Method and means for inking a printing form



an., 2 E940. G. M. KELLER 2,185,342

METHOD AND MEANS FOR INKING A PRINTING FORM Filed July 28, 1957 e sheets-sheet 1 yam 2 1940., G. M. KELLER METHOD AND MEANS FOR INKING A PRINTING FORM Filed July 28, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 #SAM/nr imiii INVENTOR.

G. M, KELLER METHOD AND MEANS FOR INKING A PRINTING FORM 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fle'd July 28. 1937 WNVENT'OR By f; f l.

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G. M. KELLER METHOD AND MEANS FOR INKING A PRINTING FORM Filed July 28, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 MHTNHIH OH MMAAOM UZHTHHOOEW .HOMQZQU 55,5%. A M0955; @MME @Urzou 55,5% AOMHZOO Qada# 20mm @NNN wu: nto@ Patented Jan. Z, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND MEANS FOR INKING A PRINTING FORM ration of New York Application July 28, 1937, Serial No. 156,207

37 Claims.

This invention relates generally to method and means for inking o1' for fluid coating rollers', and more particularly to improved method and means for inking cylindrical forms sup- 5 ported by the form or plate cylinders of modern high speed rotary printing machines.

There exists a progressively increasing demand for better quality printing and higher speeds in the operation of modern rotary printing machines. Uniform printing requires the presence of a film of ink of proper and continuously uniform thickness on the form roller to give the desired color tone regardless of the character or arrangement of the printed matter on the plates.

Present ink feeding and distributing systems rely upon a series of rollers which feed the ink from an ink fountain or ink rail, thence from roller to roller, and, finally, to the form roller or rollers, there to replace ink consumed by the previous contact of the form roller with the image-producing portions of the printing plate. This Works satisfactorily as long as the printing plates or forms carry a fairly uniform distribution of small type or other image-producing forms over their entire surface, or as long as there are no appreciable contrasting unprinted areas and solidly printed areas. The problem, however of maintaining a uniform film of ink on the form roller becoms more diicult in proportion to the degree of such contrast or variation in the distribution of the printing.

If a heavily inked portion of appreciable area occurs on any plate, the ink fountain or pump must be adjusted to feed more ink at a point in line with the heavily inked section. This results in the feeding of more ink, and, consequently, a heavier film from roller to roller in that band on the rollers, since the heavy application does not tend appreciably to travel sidewise, that is, lengthwise of the rollers. This heavier lm in that band tends to increase the ink fed to the more open printed areas immeately adjacent on each side of the heavily inked portions, and tends particularly to increase the ink fed to the more open areas ahead of and behind the heavily inked areas. Thus a uniform tone or color of all inked areas is difficult to produce. To further illustrate this difliculty, let us consider what is happening at the form rollers. The form roller receives its renewal supply of ink from an adjacent ink `coated roller. The surface of the formlroller approaching this adjacent roller after leaving the plate or form has a mottled coating of ink on its operable surface. This mottling, in effect, is a negative of the plate contacted and is made up, on the one hand, of areas represented by the undisturbed coating resulting from the previous inking by the adjacent or ink supply roller, and, on the other hand, of disturbed areas which have contacted with the printing matter on the plate, and, consequently, have been robbed of, say, half of the ink film.

The primary function of an ink feeding and distributing system is to restore this mottled ink surface or lm on the form roller to a uniform film of proper thickness for transfer of the desired quantity of ink to the printing plate during the next revolution of the form roller or rollers. To emphasize the difficulty of this problem, let us imagine a freshly painted table top upon which a book has inadvertently been placed. It is very diicult to touch up the Wet paint only on the spot which has been contact- 20 ed by the book. An area considerably larger has to b-e carefully brushed over and extreme care taken to keep down the thickness of the coat around the area contacted by the book, as well as to build up the thickness in the disturbed area itself.

To make possible similar touching up of the similarly mottled ink lm on the form roller, present ink feeding and distributing systems employ a multiplicity of vibrating rollers, ink rollers and form rollers, often of various diameters contacting each other. The consequent increased number of roller contacts together with the careful location of each roller is calculated to smooth out the ink film and prevent "tracking or coinciding of any given point on the periphery of any roller with the same point on adjacent rollers or printing plates during the next several revolutions. While better averaging of ink distribution tends to take place on the several rollers as additional complicated mechanism is employed, this averaging effect is still increasingly less perfect on the form roller as contrast in the ink distribution on the printing product increases. Even this growing complication in present ink distributing systems does not fully maintain a proper and uniform iilm of ink on the form rollers when variations between the percentage of printed and unprinted areas occur throughout the circumference and Width of the printing plate on the plate cylinder. All present forms of inking mechanism using rollers as a means of ink supply have this shortcoming. In the case of printing cuts with solid background or lettering with solid background,

or in color work in general where the distribution of each color varies considerably over the sheet or web, the shortcoming is most pronounced. It is now evident that the general principle of existing ink distributing system is not ideal for proper control of printing results, therefore, applicant has provided an ink distributing system which overcomes the shortcomings hereinbefore pointed out. Such an ink distributing system should continuously maintain a film of ink of definitely controlled thickness on the form roller surface as this surface approaches the printing plate, regardless of the degree of variation in the inked surface on the plate or form either around or lengthwise of the form cylinder. It should eliminate a large percentage of the rollers, and, consequently, the power required to operate them as well as to simplify or eliminate the finely adjustable ink fountains or ink pump.

In attempting to solve this problem, at least three lines of attack present themselves, as follows:

If the unused ink, in mottled form, remaining on the form roller surface as it leaves the form or plate and before it reaches contact with the adjacent ink supply roller, were redistributed on the form roller to an even lm both lengthwise and around the roller, and if an evenly distributed lm of proper thickness existed on the adjacent ink supply roller and if even contact pressures between the rollers and plates existed over the entire length, then; uniform printing would always result; a simple ink supply or feeding mechanism without individual column adjustment could be employed; and, a general simplification of the set of ink motion rollers could be brought about.

Similarly, if the unused ink remaining on the form roller after it has contacted with the printing plate, were entirely removed and by-passed back to the fountain, then the same result should arise except that the supply roller adjacent to the form roller would have to carry a heavier film of ink in order to transfer a complete new uniform and suitably heavy film to the clean form roller for continuation of printing.

In considering these two ideas it must be remembered that inked areas on printed matter ordinarily represent less than 10% of the paper area, and, consequently, or more of the ink remains on the form roller for even redistribution; that in the case where the ink is removed it is necessary to remove about 95% of the supplied ink or the ink previously supplied. and, therefore, about 20 times more ink would have to be fed by the ink feeding mechanism, and the unused returned ink might readily pick up paper dust or other extraneous matter before being returned; that if the redistribution or removal of unused ink on the form roller were to involve Scrapers or doctor blades of some type, these would no doubt inject additional maintenance difficulties and maintenance costi In considering the shortcomings of these arrangements, it seems more desirable to produce some form of ink control roller which would preferably act upon the form roller surface at a point immediately after the surface leaves the printing plate, or to operably engage any selected component or instrumentality in any one of a number of different inking arrangements or systems, or to provide a plurality of control rollers in a single inking arrangement or mechanism,

Applicant hereinafter discloses an inking method and mechanism employing a control roller, which, in effect, measures the amount of ink remaining on the form roller in short increments of its length and augmente the supply where insucient, by emitting the proper amount, for the desired ink film thickness from within itself, at similar short increments of its length and more or less continuously around its circumference. If a surplus of ink sufcient for the desired ink film thickness should be emitted or should exist on the form roller or any such increment of its length, the control roller would automatically reverse the above process and thus reduce the supply to the need. Ink under controlled pressure is supplied to the inside of the control roller through which it is fed to the form roller. This control roller need not of itself create an entirely uniform film of ink on the form rollen but should function so that every increment of certain area, say one square inch, of the form roller surface which passes the control roller will have the same quantity of ink thereon even though this ink be partly ink film and partly ink ridges in the form of rows of small raised ridges in continuous or intermittent circumferential rings or spirals in symmetrical form.

Obviously, the continuously measured ink supply resulting on the form roller from the control roller is not likely to be a perfectly uniform lm, as hereinbefore pointed out, and, consequently. one or more additional smoothing, spreading or distributing rollers acting upon the surface of the form roller just after this surface leaves the control roller is necessary to spread out this film before the next contact of this surface with the printing plates.

The accomplishment of this desired result lies in the characteristics. designed into the ink control roller, and, obviously, it must be stiff enough to contact the form roller uniformly throughout its length, and susceptible of contact pressure adjustment against the form roller, also ink must be fed into the control roller under controlled pressure, and this pressure may be below atmospheric pressure, partly to offset centrifugal force,

From this point the principal problem would be that of measuring the unused ink and replacing the used ink continuously. This means in effect that: The control roller must be a form of ink breathing roller; the breathing must be controllable as to amount by the pressman through adjustment of the contact pressure, change in the pressure of incoming new ink inside of the control roller or some other simple adjustment, or a combination of such adjustments; the breathing must automatically supply any lack of suicient ink in any increment of the length of the control roller and the form roller; the supply of ink of proper amount must then be rolled out or distributed uniformly and smoothly on the form roller by one or more additional rollers, some of which could vibrate; the control or breathing roller should contact the form roller directly since any intervening roller would reduce the degree of speed of effectiveness of the contro1 roller action.

The foregoing leads up to the conclusion that the control roller must have suitable symmetrically arranged openings through which ink can leave the control roller, and the quantity of ink allowed to move out must be inversely proportional to the quantity of ink remaining on the form roller at the contact point. In other words, when the form roller is giving up ink for printing a solid, more ink must flow out of the openings than where only a few dots are being printed, in which case practically no ink flows outward. Should any excess of ink occur, it would be pushed back into the control roller. The increments of measured ink supply need not be continuous or smooth but can be in the form of thick dots, dashes, rings, spirals and such, fairly close and adjacent so as to allow quick and ready smoothing out thereafter.

rIhe above outlined desired action can be most practically accomplished by rolling the residual ink on the form roller with a control roller of beaded oi crowned operable surface with the beads extending around the control roller so that the bulk of the ink is rolled or plowed into valleys between the beads by contact pressure. This rolling or plowing by the annular beads would be assisted by the action of the high portion of the annular beads spreading or stretching the rubber surface of the form roller sidewlse and by the rearward sliding of the rubber under the peak of each bead, both due to pressure of contact plus rubber distortion. The beads or ribs can be either riiig-like or spiral, but, inasmuch as the spiral construction would be precisely like the ring construction except it would be like a screw thread, such spirals have not been herein illustrated.

The openings of the control roller should occur in the valleys or traps between the arcuate ribs so that small quantities of ink ooze outward if the amount of the ink entrapped in the valley is less than the required or certain amount, and, conversely so that a portion of the entrapped ink can be pressed inward into the roller if the quantity of entrapped ink is greater than this required or certain amount. This certain required amount would be controlled largely by the shape of the ribs or rings, the amount of contact pressure and the hydrostatic pressure of the ink within the roller. rThe physical characteristics and thickness of the compound or rubber covering the form roller, the viscosity, temperature and other characteristics of the ink itself, and possibly the speed of printing and the consequent centrifugal forces acting on the ink contained in the passages within the control roller, might be factors affecting the action, but these factors may be controlled by adjustment of the contact pressure between the form roller and the control roller surfaces or regulation of the ink pressure within the control roller.

A control roller permitting the passage or breathing of ink in and out therethrough, the ink being under controlled hydrostatic pressure within the control roller, presupposes the use of ink passages or an ink jacket within the control roller and a supply pump connected thereto. These passages could readily be made up of longitudinal and circumferential or double right and left hand spiral grooves arranged around and along the periphery of the tube from which the roller core is made, to within a short distance of the ends of the roller. A winding of beaded metal banding or wire, or a series of beaded slip-on rings surrounding this core would complete the jacket. The ring construction would no doubt be preferable to the spiral construction because it affords more ready disassembling of the components.

An object of this invention is the provision of method and means for inking a printing form which is opeiably engaged by a form roller, by applying the required amount of ink in separate films directly to separate areas of the form roller surface and subsequently spreading the separate films of ink into a common film of uniform thickness over the surface of the form roller prior to the operable engagement of this surface with the form.

Another object of this invention is to provide method and means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by supplying the required amount of ink directly to areas of the form rollei surface, defining short increments of its length, the ink being arranged in relatively thick films or ribs on the peripheral surface of the form roller and the lms or ribs having attenuated lateral portions or edges.

Another object of this invention is to provide method and means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by supplying ink directly in controlled quantities to areas of the form roller from which ink has been previously removed by operable Contact with the image-producing portion of the form and removing excess ink from the form roller and supply instrumentalities.

A further object of this invention is to provide method and means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by supplying ink directly from a control roller to the operable surface of the form roller in quantities commensurate with the quantity previously taken from the form roller by its contact with the image-producing portion of the form.

An additional object of this invention is to provide method and means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by applying ink from a control roller directly to a portion of the form roller surface immediately after this portion of the surface moves from engagement with the image-producing portion of the form.

Another object of this invention is to provide method and means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by applying ink directly to a portion of the form roller surface immediately after this portion of the surface has moved from contact with imageproducing portion of the printing form, the ink being supplied inI controllable quantities to separate areas representing short increments of the length of the form roller and printing form.

A further object of this invention is to provide method and means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by applying ink directly to a portion of the form roller surface immediately after this portion of the surface has moved from contact with the image-producing portion of the printing form, the ink being supplied in controllable quantities in films of different thickness of predetermined pattern, these films being subsequently spread in a continuously uniform lm over the entire operable surface of the form roller.

An additional object of this invention is to provide method and means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by applying ink directly to a portion of the form roller surface immediately after this portion of the surface has moved from Contact with the printing form, the ink being supplied in controllable quantities of different thickness to separate areas defining short increments of the length of the form roller, and, subsequently, spreading the separate films in a common film over the entire operable surface of the form roller prior to the recontact of this portion of the form roller surface with the image-producing portion of the printing form.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, the means including a control roller into which ink is fed under pressure and the control roller operably engaging the form roller to supply ink directly to areas of the surface of the form rollei` and to remove excess ink from the cooperating form roller and control roller surfaces.

A specic object of this invention is to provide mechanism for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, by supplying ink directly from a control roller which operably engages the form roller to spaced areas of the form roller which define short increments of the length of the roller, and, subsequently, spreading the supplied ink in a uniform film over the entire surface of the form roller.

A more specic object of this invention is the provision of means for inking a printing form which is operably engaged by a form roller, the means including a control roller operably engaging an area of the form roller surface after this area has moved from engagement with the forni, a chamber within the roller, means for supplying ink under pressure to the chamber, annular beaded members forming the peripheral surface of the form roller and arranged to provide, responsive to operable pressure between the form roller and control roller, arcuate outlet openings between the annular members, which openings are communicated with the chamber to supply a plurality of lms or ribs of ink directly to circumferential areas of the form roller surface.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an inking mechanism for a printing machine, the inking mechanism being of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eii'icient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, or details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacricing any advantages of the invention.

For a complete disclosure oi the invention, a detailed description of the improved inking mechanism will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, wherein:

Figure l is a diagrammatic View disclosing a form of the improved inking mechanism as applied to a printing couple having a form roller in operable engagement with the plate or form on the form cylinder of the couple;

Figure 2 is a similar View disclosing a slightly modied form of inking arrangement;v

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view depicting another inking arrangement;

Figure 4 is a ragmental longitudinal sectional View taken through the control roller, parts of the roller appearing in elevation;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 6 is a detailed fragmental longitudinal sectional view depicting the operable cooperation between the peripheral portions of the control roller depicted in Figure 4 and the cooperating form roller;

Figure 7 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional View taken through a modied form of control roller, parts appearing in elevation,

Figure 8 is a fragmental transverse sectional View taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 7, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 9 is a detailed fragmental longitudinal sectional View depicting the cooperative relation between the peripheral portions of the control roller depicted in Figures 7 and 8 and the cooperating form roller;

Figure 10 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view taken through another modied form of control roller, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 11 is a fragmental transverse sectional View taken on the line Il-l I of Figure 10, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 12 is a detailed longitudinal sectional View depicting the cooperative relation between the form roller and the control roller depicted in Figures 10 and 11;

Figure 13 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view taken through another modied form of the control roller, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 14 is a fragmental transverse sectional View taken on the line lll-I4 of Figure 13, parts appearing in elevation;

IFigure 15 is a detailed fragmental longitudinal sectional View depicting the cooperative relation between the form roller and the control roller shown in Figures 13 and 14;

Figure 16 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view taken through a further modified form of the control roller, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 17 is a fragmental transverse sectional view taken on the line lI--IT of Figure 16, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 18 is a similar view taken on the line lil-I8 of Figure I6;

Figure 19 is a fragmental longitudinal detailed sectional View depicting the cooperative relation between the peripheral portions of the form roller and the control roller shown in Figure 16;

Figure 20 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view taken through another modied form of the control roller, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 21 is a fragmental transverse sectional view taken on the line Zl-Z! of Figure 20, parts appearing in elevation;

Figure 22 is a similar view taken on the line 22-22 of Figure 20;

Figure 23 is a fragmental longitudinal detailed sectional view depicting the cooperative relationship between the peripheral portion of the form roller and the peripheral portion of the control roller which is depicted in Figure 20;

Figure 24 is a transverse fragmental detailed sectional view depicting the cooperative relation between the peripheral portions of the form roller and the control roller shown in Figures 20 to 23;

Figure 25 is a diagrammatic view depicting the inked developed surface of the form or ink roller after its operable engagement with the control roller; and

Figure 26 is a diagrammatic, transverse sectional view taken along the line 26-26 of Figure 25.

lteferri'ng to the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, there is depicted in Figures 1 and 2 a conventional printing couple including a plate or form cylinder 30 operably mounted in cooperable relation to an impression cylinder 3| of usual construction. The plate cylinder 36 has the conventional semi-cylindrical printing plates 32 suitably secured to the peripheral portion thereof, and a web W is printed between the semi-cylindrical printing plates 32 and the peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 3|.

A form roller 33, having the usual rubber or composition covering, is mounted to operably engage the form surface of the printing plates to supply ink thereto, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. Ink is supplied to or removed from the operable surface of the form roller by a control roller 36 which forms a germane feature of this invention. The control roller 36 is operably mounted to engage an area of the form roller surface immediately after this area has moved from engagement with the form on the printing plate to thereby supply ink to or remove ink from the engaged portion of the form roller in conformity with the printing needs, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. In the arrangement depicted in Figure l, two hard or metallic ink rollers 31 operably engage axial areas of the peripheral surface of the form roller 33 after these areas have been previously engaged by the control roller 36, and a rubber or composition covered reciprocating or vibrating distributing roller 38 operably engages the ink rollers 31, for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. Another ink roller 40 is mounted for operable engagement with the peripheral portion of the form roller and it is positioned to engage an axial area of the form roller after this area has passed the ink rollers 31.

In Figure 2 an arrangement somewhat similar to that depicted in ,Figure 1 is disclosed, but, in this arrangement, the stationary inking rollers 31 are replaced by reciprocating or vibrating inking rollers 31a.

The control roller 36 includes spaced cylindrical supporting members or heads 4| and 42 which are received within the terminal portions of a cylindrical shell 43, as best depicted in Figures 16 and 20. Each terminal portion of the cylindrical shell 43 is reduced to provide cylindrical surfaces 45 for the reception of the outer cylindrical surfaces of the heads or supporting members 4| and 42. These heads are rigidly secured to the cylindrical shell by forcing or pressing them into the shell terminals against the receiving surfaces 45 to thus produce in effect an integral structure including the shell 43 and both head members or supports 4| and 42. Axial shafts 46 and 41 extend outwardly from the supporting members 4| and 42 to operably support the control roller. The outer terminals of these shafts may be received in roller sockets or bearings of any suitable construction, and, inasmuch as the operable mounting of ink rollers is well understood by those skilled in the art, such mounting has not been depicted in the drawings of this application.

Axial bores 48 and 50 are formed in the supporting members 4| and 42 respectively, and these bores are united by a cylindrical tube which is received in axial recesses 52 formed in the supporting members 4| and 42. Any preferred number of bores or conduits 53 extend radially from the bore 4B through the supporting head 4|, and alined apertures 44 extend partly through the cylindrical shell 43. Any preferred number of similar bores or conduits 54 also extend radially from the bore 50 through the supporting head 42 and aline with another series of apertures 44 which extend partly through the cylindrical shell 43. An annular groove 55 is formed in Jthe outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell adjacent each terminal thereof, and these annular grooves 55 communicate with the alined radial conduits 53-44 and 54--44. The function of these components will be hereinafter explained, and their arrangement is best illustrated in Figures 16 and 20, inasmuch as these gures disclose both terminals of a complete roller.

Annular ink feeding and receiving members 56 are operably supported by the outer surface of the cylindrical shell 43, and in the form of the invention depicted in Figure 20, each ink feeding or receiving member 56 includes a cylindrical supporting and spacing ring 51 from which any preferred number of radial supporting lugs 58 extend. The supporting lugs 58 extend a short distance radially from the supporting rings 51 and their outer terminals are received in annular grooves 66 formed in rings or annular ribs 6| which have their outer peripheral surfaces preferably crowned or beaded, as indicated at 62, to thereby present a plurality of arcuate annular surfaces or rings to the form roller surface, as will be hereinafter explained. The supporting and spacing rings 51 are positioned on the outer peripheral surface of the roller shell 43 with their axial terminals in abutting relation to thereby uniformly space the supporting lugs 58 in axial relation, and these rings 51 are also secured to the shell 43 against circumferential or relative rotary motion by a key or other suitable securing device 63, as best shown in Figure 2l, so that the support lugs 58 of one ring 51 may be positioned in staggered relation circumferentially to the lugs 58 of the immediately adjacent ring 51, thus providing staggered supports for adjacent crowned rings or ribs. The beaded rings or ribs 6| are preferably formed of metal or other relatively hard resilient material so that these rings may flex under stress, and, since the support lugs 58 for the rings 6| are positioned in staggered relation, a portion of one ring 6| will yield inwardly relative to a similar portion of the adjacent rings to thereby space the nor mally abutting axial terminals of these adjacent rings to form arcuate openings therebetween to permit the egress and ingress of ink from and into the control roller, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. In order to securely hold the supporting rings 51 of the annular ink feeding members in operable position on the outer peripheral surface of the control roller shell 43, the opposed outer terminals of the shell 43 are threaded, as indicated at 65, for the reception of threaded annular locking or terminal rings 66, which may be screwed upon the threaded portion 65 of the shell 43 by engaging spanner recesses 61, formed in the rings 66, by any suitable tool, such as a spanner wrench, not shown. The peripheral portion of each terminal ring 66 is reduced in thickness and extends axially inwardly so that the inner axial peripheral portion of the ring 66 is positioned immediately adjacent the outer portion of an outermost ring 6|, so that the terminal rings 66 in effect form peripheral continuations of the undulatory annular surface defined by the outer surfaces of the resilient ink feeding rings 6I. Each terminal ring 66 is provided with radial apertures 68 which communicate at their inner terminals with an annular groove 55, and the outer terminal of each radial recess 68 communicates with an annular recess 10, so that ink which fiows through the conduits 53-44 and annular groove 55 may pass through the apertures 68 and annular recess 'I0 into an annular chamber il defined between the outer surfaces of the supporting rings 5l and the inner surfaces of the ink feeding rings or ribs 6I. In order to supply ink to the interior of the control roller 36, the axial conduit 5U of the supporting head 42 extends axially beyond the head 42 and through the shaft 41 and communicates with any suitable source of ink supply, such as an elevated reservoir or a suitably located pump which is capable of establishing the desired hydrostatic pressure within the control roller 36. Inasmuch as ink supply instrumentalities of the pump or reservoir type are Well understood to those skilled in the art, they are not here illustrated.

In operation, ink under the desired pressure is supplied to the axial bore 50 and through the tube 5l into the bore 48, and from the bore 48 the link flows through the conduits 53, 44, annular groove 55, apertures 68 and annular recess l'll into the annular chamber 'H defined by the outer surfaces of the supporting rings 5'1 and the inner surfaces of the beaded ink feeding ring 6|. Similarly, ink flows from the bore 50 through the conduits 54, 44, annular groove 55, aperture 58, annular recess l0 into the chamber 1I. The operable position of the control roller 36 may be adjusted in conformity with the usual practice to exert any desired pressure against the peripheral surface of the form roller 33, and the degree of pressure regulates the quantity of ink supplied to or removed from the surface of the form roller, or, if preferred, the control roller may engage the form roller with a fixed or predetermined pressure, and the hydrostatic pressure of the ink within the control roller may be regulated to control the quantity of ink supplied to the surface of the form roller. In either case, as the form roller 33 rotates, its frictional engagement with the peripheral surface of the control roller 36 rotates the control roller, or, if preferred the control roller 36 may be driven by suitable conventional gearing, not shown. As the control roller 36 rotates, portions of the resilient rings 6l will be flexed inwardly between adjacent supporting lugs 58, and, inasmuch as the supporting lugs 58 for a given annular beaded ribl or ring 6| are located in staggered relation to the support lugs for the adjacent rings 6|, the flexed portions of alternate rings 6l move from engagement with the supported portion of interposed rings 6|, thereby providing arcuate slits or openings between the normally abutting terminals of adjacent rings 6| to permit ink to be supplied therethrough to the surface of the form roller 33 or pass back into the control roller, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The operative pressure exerted by the peripheral surface of the control roller 36 against the peripheral surface of the form roller 33 causes the soft yieldable peripheral surface of the form roller to conform to the undulatory peripheral contour of the engaged portion of the control roller while in its open or compressed condition, as best shown in Figures 23 and 24. When portions of the spaced annular rings 6| are pressed from engagement with similar portions of adjacent supported rings to thus define arcuate openings between adjacent rings, the ink flows from the annular chamber 1| and through these openings onto the peripheral surface of the form roller 33. The arcuate or beaded surface of each annular rib or ring 6| presses into the relatively soft peripheral surface of the form roller 33, s0- that greater pressure is exerted against the peripheral surface of the form roller at the axially intermediate portion of each crowned or beaded ring 6l, and this pressure is gradually reduced at each side of the intermediate portion of each ring 6| so that most of the ink present on the peripheral surface of the form roller will be pressed or squeezed towards each side of each beaded ring 6l, thereby causing the ink present on the peripheral surface of the form roller, and the ink Which has been fed through the openings between adjacent annular ring 6l to augment the ink supply on the form roller, to form spaced ribs or relatively thick films of ink on the peripheral surface of the form roller, and these ribs are arranged circumferentially around the surface of the form roller, as best shown in Figures 25 and 26, which action will be further elucidated hereinafter. As the ink and composition or rubber of the form roller are squeezed or pressed towards the lateral edges of each crowned ring 6l, the pressure is gradually reduced at these areas, and if sufficient ink is present on the peripheral surface of the control roller to cause the pressure of the formed ribs or films of ink to exceed the hydrostatic pressure of the ink within the control roller, then the excess ink is pressed back into the control roller to leave the required amount on the form roller, which action will be more fully explained hereinafter. After an axial area of the peripheral surface of the control roller 36 moves from engagement with a similar area of the surface of the form roller 33, then this portion of the control roller resumes its normal position or shape, with the annular edges of adjacent rings 6| in engagement with each other to prevent further fiow of ink from within the roller past the beaded rings Si. After the spaced circumferentially extending ink ribs and interposed thin films of ink have been deposited on an area of the surface of the form roller, this area then moves from engagement with the control roller and is subsequently engaged by rollers which spread the ink in a thinner uniformv film over the entire operable surface of the form roller, and then this uniform film of ink moves to engagement with the form to supply the image producing portion thereof with the required ink. In the arrangement depicted in Figure l, non-reciprocating ink rollers 3l operably engage the relatively thick films or ribs of ink left on the peripheral surface of the form roller 33 by the control roller 36 and spreads them in a common film of uniform thickness, and the rollers 3l, which are preferably hard rollers, are operably engaged by a reciprocating soft roller 38 to a-id in the lateral ink spreading or smoothing action. Another inking roller 46 also engages the peripheral surface of the form roller to further aid in spreading the ink in a uniform lm over the operable surface of the form roller.

In the arrangement depicted in Figure 2, the peripheral surface of the soft form roller 33 is engaged by reciprocating inking rollers 31a instead of the axially stationary ink rollers 3l,

otherwise this arrangement functions similarly to that depicted in Figure' 1.

The ink supplying, removing, spreading and smoothing action produced by the cooperative relation between the control roller 36 and form roller 33, and between the form roller and the inking rollers is best disclosed in the diagrammatic Figures 25 and 26. Figure 25 diagrammatically represents the developed surface of the inked form roller and in which accurate proportions have been departed from in order to visually accentuate the various actions which take place during the cooperable engagement of the control roller and form roller, and the form roller and ink spreading rollers. It is assumed that the word HOE is being printed and that the upper portion of the figure represents an area of the form roller surface immediately after this area has moved from operable contact with the image-producing portion of the form, thereby robbing the contacted portion of the form roller, which defines the word HOE, of approximately half of its ink film. For the purpose of elucidation it is assumed that a iilm of ink of certain thickness is required to produce the printing and that this required ink lm has a thickness to produce ink density of the order or value of supply units per unit area, hereinafter merely referred to as 10, Since the area of the form roller which has previously contacted with the image-producing portion of the form has been deprived of approximately half its ink film, then the area outlining the word HOE is left with an ink film having an ink density of the order of 5. As the form roller 33 continues to rotate, the area of the form roller surface which previously contacted with the image-producing portion of the form moves from engagement with the form and is then engaged by the control roller surface, the contact between the control roller beaded supply rings 6l and the surface of the form roller is indicated at 12, and, inasmuch as the rolling motion of the surface of the form roller causes a tracking action, a portion of the contact contour is indicated in yolotted lines. As hereinbefore stated, the pressure between the beaded or crowned rings 6| of the control roller 36 and the normally cylindrical surface of the soft form roller causes the axially intermediate portion of the crown of each control roller ring 6I to engage the surface of the form roller with relatively great pressure, thereby squeezing most of the ink from this area towards the sides of the ring where the pressure falls oli, and, consequently, causes the ink to flow to these sections to deposit annular ribs or relatively thick lms of ink circumferentially around areas of the form roller surface, so that the relatively thick ribs of ink define ink lms of average density of the order of 19, and the intermediate thin films of the order of l, as indicated. After this area of the form roller surface has moved from engagement with the control roller, it resumes its normal cylindrical configuration thereby somewhat stretching or spreading the circumferentially arranged ink ribs I9 prior to the engagement of these ribs by the ink spreading rollers. As hereinbefore stated, the construction of the control roller 36 is such that if a surplus of ink should exist on a portion of the control roller, owing to the peculiarities of the matter being printed, or if the portions of the arcuate openings of the revolving control roller which are out of engagement with the form roller should leak ink, then this surplus ink will produce excess pressure along the areas of the control and form rollers which produces the ink rib so that this excess ink is forced back into the control roller. If however, the printed matter has absorbed suiiicient ink to reduce the film below the certain or required quantity, the ink will be fed through the control roller to supply the required amount and the supplied ink takes on the described configuration.

If, during the operation of the device, the pressman or operator discovers that too much ink is being fed to the form roller, then the pressure of the ink in the control roller is reduced, or the pressure between the form roller and control roller is increased. In this event, the balance of pressure in the valleys between the beads would become such that the excess ink on the form roller would be accumulated in the valleys between the beads of the control roller and forced back into the control roller. Owing to the nature of the construction of the control roller, it may leak some ink due to the annular edge o-f the beaded rings not perfectly contacting each other, but this excess ink caused by the leakage is forced back into the control roller in the manner hereinbefore disclosed.

In the preferred arrangement, depicted in Figgure 2, after an area of the surface of the form roller 33 has moved from engagement with the control roller 36, it engages the rst of the reciprocating ink rollers 37m. It will be under stood that this roller has been rotating and reciprocating continuously in engagement with the form roller and is therefore coated with its normal supply of ink. It will therefore give up a substantial volume of ink to the form roller wherever a dearth of ink exists on the latter, and conversely will take ink from any portion of the form roller where there is any excess. Assuming that the rol'er 31a is moving axially towards the left, it spreads the relatively thick ribs or lms of lnk I9 in both lateral directions, but more to the left, to define alternate thick and thin films having average densities of the order of 14 and 6 respectively, as indicated in Figure 25. This area of the form roller is next engaged by the second reciprocating ink roller 31a, which like the previously engaged roller is carrying a normal supply of ink. Assuming that this roller is being moved axially towards the right, its engagement with the form roller causes the relatively thick lms I4 and thin films 6 to be spread over the surface more evenly, and the spreading being somewhat greater towards the right, circumferentially disposed thick and thin films are produced of average density of the order of 11 and 9 respectively as indicated, leaving very narrow strips covered by films of the lesser thickness.

These thinner films are so narrow after the engagement of this area of the form roller with the second reciprocating ink roller, that when this area moves into engagement with the non-reciprocating ink roller 40, the ink is spread into a continuously uniform iilm of thickness or density of the order of 10 over the entire operative surface of the form roller. This area then moves into engagement with the printing portion of the form to supply it with the required ink, the action being continuous insofar as the ink distribution on the form roller is concerned and consisting of alternately taking ink from the form roller by the form and the replacement by the control roller of an amount of ink equal to that taken.

From the foregoing it will be observed that this improved inking mechanism supplies ink to the peripheral surface of the form roller in order to deposit sufficient ink on the peripheral surface of the roller to maintain a certain required amount of ink thereon, and if an excess amount exists on any area of the peripheral surface of the control roller this excess ink is forced back into the control roller. Furthermore, inasmuch as the beaded rings or ribs are arranged circumferentially around the control roller and their axial dimensions are such that these rings define short sections of the length of the roller, it is manifest that a required amount of ink, which amount is determined by the adjustments hereinbefore disclosed, is deposited or left on short sections of the length of the form roller so that irrespective of the character of the matter being printed the required amount of ink is left on each section of the length of the roller, thus supplying ink in the required quantity to each column of the form wherein columns are provided, or if heavy or solid matter and relatively open letter press matter are alternately arranged on the form, the required amount of ink can be supplied to each area, because the control roller controls the quantity of ink supplied to the entire surface of the form roller, and the supplied ink is measured to accurately supply the exact amount required on all areas of the entire circumferential surface of short axial bands throughout the form roller length.

Although an approved and convenient arrangement is that hereinbefore disclosed in which the control roller 36 operably engages the form roller 33, this specific arrangement is not mandatory, because the control roller, owing to its advantageous ink supplying and applying characteristics, may be positioned to operably engage any preferred instrumentality or component in any standard inking system or arrangement, In the arrangement depicted in Figure 3, the control roller 36 operably engages an ink distributing roller 38a having a relatively soft peripheral surface formed of rubber or any suitable composition. The ink distributing roller 38a is operably engaged by two ink or transfer rollers 31a which are preferably reciprocated, and these rollers, in turn, operably engage the peripheral surface of the form roller 33. In this arrangement the control roller 36 supplied the necessary ink to the roller 38a, in the manner hereinbefore disclosed, and then the ink is conveyed to the forms on the form cylinder 30 through the rollers 31a and form roller 33. In other inking arrangements in which ink is supplied to the inking system at a point more remote from the plate cylinder, the control roller may be employed to supplant the present ink supplying instrumentality, such as a fountain ductor, or ink supply roller or ink rail, and, as stated, may be positioned to operably cooperate with any preferred component in the inking arrangement, but, inasmuch as the mode of operation of the control roller in all arrangements is Somewhat similar no additional arrangements are herein illustrated, although it is to be understood that the control roller may be advantageously employed in any of a number of different ink arrangements or systems.

In Figures 4, and 6, a preferred form of the invention is depicted, and this form is similar in construction to the form depicted in Figure 20 except the supporting or spacing rings 51a have annular supporting members or flanges 58a extending radially therefrom, and each flange 58a is provided with spaced apertures 13 to permit the ink to flow along the annular chamber Tl'a formed between the outer peripheral surfaces of the supporting rings 51a and the inner surfaces of annular ribs Gla which are secured to the supporting flanges 58a by pins or other suitable securing devices l5. Each annular rib 6|a is preferably formed of relatively thin resilient hard material, and it is curved or beaded in axial cross section so that the assembled ribs Gla define a plurality of beaded rings presenting an outer peripheral contour similar to the form depicted in Figure 20. The axial edges of adjacent crowned or beaded rings Gla normally abut to provide a continuous closure for the annular ink chamber lla.

In the operation of this form of the invention, the operable pressure existent between the peripheral surface of the control roller 36 and the peripheral surface of the form roller 33 forces the opposed axial terminal portions of each resilient ring 61a inwardly so that their normally abutting terminals are separated to provide arcuate ink passages circumferentially along short axial areas of the control roller, to thus permit the required amount of ink to be deposited on the peripheral surface of the form roller 33 in the manner hereinbefore described. Inasmuch as each beaded or crowned annular rib 6 la is rigidly supported intermediate its axial terminals by its supporting flange 58a, this intermediate portion of the rib remains unyieldingly in engagement with the soft peripheral surface of the form roller to exert the maximum pressure along this supported circumferential area, thus squeezing or forcing the ink to each side of this area to thereby deposit or leave relatively thick spaced circumferential ridges or films of ink on the form roller in short axial areas located intermediate the supported portions of the rings 61a.

Another preferred form of my invention is depicted in Figures '7, 8 and 9, and the construction of this form is similar to that disclosed in Figures 4 and 20, except that each beaded or crowned annular ring or rib lb is integrally secured to the supporting ange 58D, and each ring is beaded or crowned to a greater degree than those depicted in Figure 4.

In this arrangement, the operable pressure existing between the peripheral surface of the form roller 33 and the outer peripheral surfaces of the annular rings Gib, forces the normally abutting ,axial terminals of these rings or ribs from engagement with each other to permit ink to flow from the chamber Hb to the form roller surface, as hereinbefore described. Inasmuch as the outer peripheral surface of each ring Blb is curved or crowned to a greater degree than those disclosed in Figure 4, these rings will deposit or leave spaced circumferential ribs or films of ink of somewhat greater thickness on the peripheral surface of the form roller, but, of course, the quantity of ink will be commensurate with the quantity required to ink the portion of the form located in the form area supplied by each film or rib.

Another preferred form of my invention is depicted in Figures l0. ll and l2, and the construction of this form is similar to those hereinbefore disclosed except that rigid beaded or crowned ribs or rings Blc are rigidly supported by annular flanges 580 which are preferably integrally secured to the intermediate portions of supporting or spacing rings 51e and the intermediate portions of each ring 6|c. Apertures 13o are provided in each supporting member or flange 58e to permit the ink to flow freely along the ink chamber 'llc dened between the outer peripheral surfaces of the supporting and spacing rings 51e and the inner surfaces of the beaded or crowned rings Bic'. The adjacent axial terminals of the beaded ring 6 Ic are slightly spaced to provide annular ink passages or orices to permit the ink to flow from the chamber 1I through the oriiices 'l5 to the peripheral surfaces of the form roller 33, or to move back through these orifices into the control roller if excess ink is present on the form or control roller. Aside from the fact that the annular orices 15 are continuously open and that the entire operable surface of each ring Bic remains fixed or non-yieldably engages the peripheral surface of the form roller, the operation of this form of the invention is similar to those hereinbefore disclosed except the continuously open annular ink passages 'I5 may permit a greater quantity of ink to leak to the outer peripheral surface of the control roller, but this excess ink is, as hereinbefore disclosed, forced back into the control roller.

A slightly modified form of the invention is depicted in Figures 13, 14 and 15, and this form is similar to that disclosed in Figures 10, 11 and 12 except that yieldable valve members 16 are operably interposed between the adjacent axial terminals of the beaded ring Glc. Each ring Bic and its supporting flange 58C and supporting spacing ring 51o is similar in form and construction to those disclosed in Figures 10, l1 and 12, but the axial terminals of the beaded rings Glc are spaced apart for the operable reception of the yieldable valve members 16 between their adjacent axial terminals, as will be more fully described hereinafter. An annular spacer' 'i4 is interposed between the spaced adjacent axial.

terminals of adjacent supporting or spacing rings 51e, and the axial dimension of the spacer 14 is chosen to accurately space the adjacent axial terminal of adjacent rings Slc for operable cooperation with components of the yieldable valve members 1E, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. Each valve member 'I6 is preferably in the form of a ring having its body portion 'l1 of sufficient thickness to accurately engage adjacent axial terminals of adjacent rings 6 Ic to form a closure therebetween. A laterally enlarged annular flange 18 is formed at the inner terminal of the body 'Il of each ring 16, and the outer terminal of the body il is reduced in thickness to define an annular projection 8l). The ring 16 is mounted for floating movement between adjacent rings Blc and normally closes the space between adjacent rings, as shown in Fig. 13. The contact pressure, however, between the form roller surface and the control roller causes the distorted surface of the form roller to force these rings inwardly, as indicated in Figure 15, to permit ink to be supplied in desired quantity to the peripheral surface of the form roller in the manner hereinbefore described.

` A further modification of the invention is depicted in Figures 16 to 19, and this form of the invention is similar to those hereinbefore disclosed except that the spacing or supporting rings 51d are provided with upstanding bearing or supporting lugs 58d. A series of supports or lugs 58d' upstand radially from each axial terminal of each supporting and spacing ring 51d, and the outer terminal of each lug 58d is provided with an arcuate bearing surface or seat 8| which cooperates with the arcuate seat 8| of the adjacent lug 58d to operably receive an annular bearing boss 82 extending inwardly from an axial terminal of a crowned or beaded ring or rib Gld. The beaded or crowned rings Gld are formed of hard resilient material, preferably metal, and their axial terminals normally abut to form closures for the annular chamber Hd defined between the outer peripheral surfaces of the supporting ring 51d and the inner surfaces of the rings Gld.

In the operation of this device, the contact pressure of the form roller surface against the control roller causes the unsupported axial terminals of each ring Bld to yield inwardly, as indicated in Figure 19, to provide an arcuate opening or slot between the adjacent terminals of these rings so that ink may be supplied from the chamber 'Hd to the peripheral surface of the form roller 33, or, if excess ink exists on the surface of the control or form roller, the excess ink may be forced back into the control roller.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the various forms of the invention herein disclosed conform to the general novel principle of this inventive concept, and disclose devices for supplying ink to an area of the peripheral portion of the form roller after this area has given a supply of ink to the image producing portion of the form, the ink being supplied in separate lms in quantities commensurate with the printing need, and this quantity being controlled by supplying ink when an insufiicient quantity exists on the form roller surface or by removing any excess ink from the surfaces of the form and control rollers.

The use of this control roller is subject to a number of variations. For instance, two control rollers could be used in an inking mechanism, one to supply ink in controlled excess and the other to remove the excess as supplied by the first. In such case, the beads or crowns of the control roller rings may be differently shaped and arranged in staggered relation so that the Valley of one roller would align with the bead of the other. Furthermore, an inking arrangement or mechanism may be provided employing several form rollers in operable engagement with a suitable form, and with control rollers operably placed at various points in the inking mechanism. Such arrangements, however, would not change the principle of operation or affect the construction of the control roller, therefore, they have not been illustrated in the drawings of this application.

In reviewing the operation of the .different forms of this invention it is seen that a wedgeshaped band of ink precedes the line or area of contact between two ink coated rollers, and if one of these rollers is in the-form of a beaded roller, this band of ink, of wedge-shaped section ahead of the contact area, would present an irregular outline. At the high points of the beads, the wedge-sectioned band would be advanced and curve downward at each side of each bead to a point in the valleys between the beads. The wedge-shaped section would tend to lessen constantly in line with the largest diameter of each bead, and the ink would tend to plow rearward into the valleys between the beads. Thus a greater bite would exist along with a greater tendency on the part of the accumulation of ink, ahead of the contact line, to push back through the line or band of contact. However, by its nature, the control roller has openings peripherally around itself in the valleys between the beads. Thus, as the bite or the pressure, due to greater accumulation of ink, increased in the valleys, then, since only a measured amount can pass through, any surplus beyond a certain amount must push back into the control roller. Conversely, if the triangular section of the ink pushed along ahead of the point of contact between the control roller and the rubber roller is insufficient to ll the triangular opening in the valley of the beads on the control roller, then suflicient ink will exude from the arcuate control roller openings until a slight excess, or sufficient amount, to create pressure in the bite at the valleys, has exuded. Thereafter, ink will exude only as a shortage of ink occurs in the valleys. This, of course, depends upon various factors including, the amount of ink transferred to the paper, the amount of leakage of the control roller valves or openings when rotating out of contact with the rubber roller, the contact pressure of the rollers, and the pressure carried on the ink supply.

It will be manifest that the essential feature of this idea resides in the balance of flow indicated above. It will also be recognized that under ordinary conditions there will be very little flow of ink back into the control roller. The repeated reference to iiow of ink back into the control roller has seemed necessary in order to establish the fact of a balance to bring about accurate measurement of ink as it passes through the line of contact between the control roller and the adjacent rubber roller. However, satisfactory operation could probably not result unless the openings in the control roller which allow flow of ink inward, or outward, arise in the form of long narrow slots either continuous or intermittent and disposed substantially circumferentially or helically around the control roller. Any point on rapidly revolving rollers is in operable contact such a short space of time, that it would be difficult to control inward or outward flow unless a narrow, circumferential, valvular opening existed. For example, if a considerable volume of ink should accumulate adjacent the bite of the rollers, where their surfaces approach the line of contact and in the valleys between the beads, then a larger effective opening is available because the ink accumulation extends further from the contact line, and the slotlike openings can be opened by pressure some distance on that side of the point of contact. It is obvious that an opening in the valleys of the control roller will also exist at the portion of the surface leaving the line of contact and whereas pressure exists on the entering side, more or less of a vacuum will exist on the leaving side. This, of course, will allow some outward flow of ink from the control roller behind the line of contact. This ink will be carried around a complete revolution and enter into the functioning of the mechanism when it again reaches the bite between the two rollers.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respect as illustrative and not restrictive and it will be further understood that each and every novel feature and combination present in or possessed by the method and mechanism herein disclosed forms a part of the invention included in this specification.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:

1. The method of inking a printing form through an inking system having ink rollers, which consists in supplying ink directly to or removing excess ink from an area of a selected ink roller whereby the requisite quantity of ink is supplied to the inking system.

2. The method of inking a printing form through an inking system having a soft ink roller, which consists in supplying ink directly to or removing excess ink from an area of the soft ink roller whereby the requisite quantity of ink is supplied to the inking system.

3. The method of inking a cylindric form through an inking system having ink rollers, which consists in supplying or removing ink to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink in a plurality of lms of excessive thickness on spaced areas of the operable surface of a selected ink roller, and spreading the thick ink films in a thinner lm of requisite thickness in the inking system prior to supplying it to the form.

4. The method of inking a cylindric printing form through an inking system having ink rollers, which consists in supplying or removing ink to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink in a plurality of elongated ink lms of excessive thickness and having attenuated lateral edges on spaced circumferential areas of a selected ink roller, and spreading the thick ink lms in a common thinner lm of required thickness in the inking system prior to supplying it to the form.

5. The method of inking a cylindric printing form through an inking system having a plurality of form rollers and inking rollers, which consists in supplying or removing ink to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink in a plurality of elongated ink films of excessive thickness and having attenuated lateral edges on spaced circumferential areas of a selected ink roller of the system, and spreading the thick ink films in common thinner films of required thickness prior to supplying these films to the form rollers.

6. A liquid supply roller having a chamber therein to contain liquid and yieldable annular members forming the peripheral surface of the roller and yieldable responsive to external pressure to open position whereby liquid is supplied from the chamber past the yieldable members to the exterior of the roller.

7. A liquid supply roller having a chamber therein to contain liquid, and yieldable annular members forming a part of the peripheral surface of the roller and yieldably movable responsive to external pressure to open position whereby the liquid is supplied from the chamber past the open yieldable members to the exterior of the roller or forced back into the chamber, the degree of external pressure determining the amplitude of opening movement of the said yieldable members.

8. A liquid supply roller cooperable with a roller having a relatively soft peripheral surface, the supply roller having a chamber therein to contain liquid, and yieldable annular members forming the peripheral surface of the supply roller and yieldably movable responsive to pressure exerted by the soft peripheral surface of the said soft roller to open position to dene arcuate circumferential openings through which liquid is supplied from the chamber to the peripheral surface of the soft roller.

9. A liquid supply roller cooperably engaging a roller having a relatively soft peripheral surface,

the supply roller having a chamber therein to contain liquid, and annular members forming the peripheral surface of the supply roller and having arcuate outlet slots formed therebetween to supply liquid from the chamber to the soft peripheral surface of the cooperating roller in spaced films.

10. A liquid supply roller cooperably engaging a roller having a relatively soft peripheral surface, the supply roller having a chamber therein, means to supply liquid under pressure to the chamber, and crowned members forming the peripheral surface of the supply roller, the crowned members defining recesses therebetween, the peripheral surface of the supply roller having slots formed therein to supply liquid therethrough from the chamber to the soft peripheral surface of the cooperating roller, the soft peripheral surface of the cooperating roller yieldingly engaging and conforming to the crowns of the peripheral surface of the supply roller to force the supplied liquid to accumulate in the recesses between the crowns so that the supplied liquid is arranged in spaced films on the soft peripheral surface of the cooperating roller.

11. The method of inking a printing form which consists in operably engaging the form with a form roller, supplying ink directly to or removing excess ink from an area of the form roller surface after this area has supplied ink directly to the form by operable contact therewith.

12. The method of inking a cylindric printing form supported by a form cylinder, which consists in operably engaging the form with a form roller, supplying ink directly to or removing excess ink from areas of the form roller surface after these areas have supplied ink directly to the form by operable contact therewith.

13. The method of inking a printing form, which consists in operably engaging the form with a form roller, supplying ink directly to or removing excess ink from an area of the form roller surface after this area has supplied ink directly to the form by operable contact therewith, and spreading the supplied ink in a uniform film over the surface of the form roller.

14. The method of inking a cylindric printing form supported by a form cylinder, which consists in operably engaging the form with a form roller, supplying or removing ink to thereby leave ink directly on areas of the form roller surface in separate elongated relatively thick films having attenuated lateral edges, and spreading these ink films in a common film of uniform thickness over the operable surface of the form roller.

15. The method of inking a cylindric printing form supported by a form cylinder, which consists in operably engaging the form with a form roller, supplying or removing ink to thereby leave the required quantity of ink in a plurality of films of excessive thickness on spaced areas of the operable surface of the form roller, and spreading the thick ink films in a common uniform lm of required thickness over the entire operable surface of the form roller.

16. rI'he method of inking a cylindric printing form supported by a form cylinder, which consists in operably engaging the form With a form roller, supplying or removing ink to thereby leave a plurality of elongated ink lms of excessive thickness and having attenuated lateral edges on spaced areas of the surface of the form roller immediately after these areas have operably engaged the printing form, and spreading the thick ink films in a common uniform film vof required thickness over the surface of the form roller.

17. The method of supplying a uniform film of ink to a cylindric form supported by a form cylinder, which consists in operably engaging the form with a form roller, supplying or removing ink to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink on the form roller surface in relatively thick films in uniformly spaced areas extending circumferentially around the form roller surface, and spreading the spaced thick ink lms in a uniform lm of less thickness over the operable surface of the form roller.

18. The method of supplying a uniform lm of ink to a form on a form cylinder, which consists in operably engaging the form with a form roller, supplying or removing ink to thereby leave the requisite quantity of inkon areas of the form roller surface after said areas have contacted with the form, the ink being deposited in spaced films of relatively great thickness which are reduced in thickness at each side thereof to provide spaced films of lesser thickness, and spreading the said thick and thin films in a lm of uniform thickness over the surface of the form roller.

19. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having form supporting means, a form supported thereby and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from or to receive excess ink into the control roller to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink on a portion of the operable surface of the form roller after this portion has moved from Contact with the form in a plurality of relatively thick films of ink on circumferential areas of the operable surface of the form roller, and means for engaging these films after they have moved from the control roller to thereby spread them over the operable surface of the form roller in a common lm of uniform thickness.

20. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a form cylinder, a form supported thereby and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from or to receive excess ink into the control roller to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink on a portion of the operable surface of the form roller after this portion has moved from contact with the form in a plurality of continuously uniform films of ink on circumferential areas of the operable surface of the form roller, and means for engaging these lms after they have moved from the control roller to thereby spread them over the operable surface of the form roller in a common film of uniform thickness.

21. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having form supporting means, a form supported thereby and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from the control roller to and receive excess supply ink from areas of the operable surface of the form roller after these areas have moved from contact with the form to thereby leave a plurality of films of ink on circumferential areas of the operable surface of the form roller, and means for engaging these films after they have moved from the control roller to thereby spread them over the operable surface of the form roller in a common lm of uniform thickness.

22. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a form cylinder, a form supported thereby and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from the control roller to and receive excess supply ink from a portion of the operable surface of the form roller after this portion has moved from contact with the form to thereby leave a plurality of continuously uniform films of ink on circumferential areas of the operable surface of the form roller, and means for engaging these films after they have moved from the control roller to thereby spread them over the operable surface of the form roller in a common film of uniform thickness.

23. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a form cylinder, a form supported thereby and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from the control roller to spaced areas of the operable surface of the form roller after these areas have moved from contact with the form to thereby leave a plurality of films of ink on circumferential areas of the operable surface of the form roller, these areas defining short increments of the length of the form roller, and means for engaging these films after they have moved from the control roller to thereby spread them over the operable surface of the form roller in a cornmon film of uniform thickness.

24. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine including a form cylinder, a form operably supported by the form cylinder and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller under predetermined pressure, means for supplying ink into the control roller, and yieldable members forming the peripheral portion of the control roller and yieldable responsive to the contact pressure exerted by the peripheral portion of the form roller against the yieldable members to provide orifices to communicate the ink Within the control roller with the peripheral surface of the form roller to permit the ink to flow from the interior of the control roller through these orifices to the peripheral surfaces of the form roller.

25. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine including a form cylinder, a form operably supported by the form cylinder and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller under adjustable pressure, means for supplying ink into the control roller, and annular arcuate members forming the peripheral portion of the control roller, the annular members being spaced to define annular orifices therebetween to communicate the ink within the control roller With the peripheral surfaces of the form roller to permit the ink to fiow from the interior of the control roller through these annular orifices to the peripheral surface of the form roller so that spaced films of ink are deposited circumferentially around the form roller in short increments of the length of the form roller.

26. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine including a form cylinder, a form operably supported by the form cylinder and a form roller operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging the form roller under predetermined pressure, means for supplying ink into the control roller, spaced rigid members forming components of the peripheral surface of the control roller, and yieldable members operably interposed between the rigid members and yieldable responsive to contact pressure exerted by the peripheral portion of the form roller against the yieldable member to thereby provide orifices between portions of the rigid members and yieldable members to communicate the ink Within the control roller with the peripheral surface of the form roller to thereby permit the ink to flow from the interior of the control roller through these orifices to or from the peripheral surface of the form roller.

27. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having form supporting means and an inking mechanism including rollers operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging a roller of the inking mechanism, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from the control roller to a portion of the operable surface of the inking mechanism roller after this portion has supplied ink to other components of the inking mechanism to thereby leave a plurality of relatively thick films of ink on the circumferential areas of the operable surface of the engaged inking mechanism roller, and means for engaging these films after they have moved from the control roller to thereby spread them in a common film of uniform thickness.

28. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having form supporting means, a form supported thereby and an inking mechanism including rollers operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging a roller of the inking mechanism, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from the control roller to and receive excess supply ink from areas of the surface of the engaged inking mechanism roller after these areas have moved from contact Withvother components of the inking mechanism to thereby leave a plurality of films of ink on circumferential areas of the operable surface of the engaged inking mechanism roller, and means for engaging these films to thereby spread them in a common film of uniform thickness.

29. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a form cylinder, a form supported thereby and an inking mechanism including rollers operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging a roller of the inking mechanism, means including the control roller to directly supply ink from the control roller to spaced areas of the operable Surface of the engaged inking mechanism roller after these areas have moved from contact with other components of the inking mechanism to thereby leave a plurality of films of ink on circumferential areas of the operable surface of the engaged inking mechanism roller, these areas defining short increments of the length of the roller, and means for engaging these films after they have moved from the control roller to thereby spread them in a common film of uniform thickness.

30. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine including a form cylinder, a form operably supported by the form cylinder, and an inking mechanism including rollers operably engaging the form to supply ink thereto, a control roller operably engaging a roller of the inking mechanism under predetermined pressure, means for supplying ink into the control roller, and annular arcuate members forming the peripheral portion of the control roller, annular members being spaced to dene annular orices therebetween to communicate the ink within the control roller to the peripheral surface of the engaged inking mechanism roller to permit the ink to flow from the interior of the control roller through these orifices to the peripheral surface of the engaged inking mechanism roller so that spaced lms of ink are deposited circumferentially around the engaged inking mechanism roller in short increments of its length.

31. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine, a rst ink roller and a second ink roller in running engagement therewith; said second ink roller having a surface formed with a succession of peripherally extending ridges and valleys, an internal passage communicating with a source of ink, and openings in the valleys adapted to discharge ink and dispose it in ridge formation on the surface of the first ink roller.

32. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine, a rst ink roller having a relatively soft peripheral surface and a second ink roller in running engagement therewith; said second ink roller having an internal ink passage connected to a source of ink supply, and a relatively hard peripheral surface formed to discharge ink at the area of engagement with the said second roller and to dispose it thereon in a series of ridges.

33. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a form and a form roller operably engaging the form, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means for conveying ink into the control roller, and yieldable members carried by the control roller and operable by the operable engagement of the control roller with the form roller to provide openings through which ink Within the control roller is supplied to its peripheral portion to provide excess ink thereon and through which openings excess ink is forced back into the control roller.

34. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a form and a form roller operably engaging the form, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means for conveying ink into the control roller and yieldable members carried by the control roller and operable by the operable engagement of the control roller with the form roller to provide openings through which ink within the control roller is supplied to its peripheral portion to provide excess ink thereon and through which openings excess ink is forced back into the control roller, and means for spreading the ink remaining on the form roller surface in a film of uniform thickness over the operable surface of the form roller.

35. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a semi-cylindrical form supported by a form cylinder and a form roller operably engaging the form, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means for conveying ink into the control roller, and yieldable members carried by the control roller and operable by the operable engagement of the control roller with the form roller to provide openings through which ink from within the control roller is supplied to its peripheral portion to produce excess ink thereon and through which openings the excess ink is forced back into the control roller to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink in circumferentially-extending areas on the form roller surface, and means for spreading the ink from the circumferentially-extending areas on the form roller surface into a film of uniform thickness.

36. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine having a semi-cylindrical form supported by a form cylinder and a form roller operably engaging the form, a control roller operably engaging the form roller, means for conveying ink into the control roller, and yieldable members carried by the control roller and operable by the operable engagement of the control roller with the form roller to provide openings through which ink from within the control roller is supplied to its peripheral portion to produce excess ink thereon and through which openings the excess ink is forced back into the control roller to thereby leave the requisite quantity of ink in circumferential]y-extending relatively thick lms of ink having (attenuated lateral edges, and means for spreading the ink lm in a uniform thinner nlm over the surface of the form roller.

37. In an ink supply roller having a chamber therein to contain ink, yieldable annular members forming a portion of the peripheral surface of the roller, said members being yieldable in response to external pressure to provide openings between the members to permit ink to pass therethrough.

GEORGE M. KELLER.. 

